Licensed wireless systems provide mobile wireless communications to individuals using wireless transceivers. Licensed wireless systems refer to public cellular telephone systems and/or Personal Communication Services (PCS) telephone systems. Wireless transceivers include cellular telephones, PCS telephones, wireless-enabled personal digital assistants, wireless modems, and the like.
Licensed wireless systems utilize wireless signal frequencies that are licensed from governments. Large fees are paid for access to these frequencies. Expensive base station equipment is used to support communications on licensed frequencies. Base stations are typically installed approximately a mile apart from one another (e.g., cellular towers in a cellular network). The wireless transport mechanisms and frequencies employed by typical licensed wireless systems limit both data transfer rates and range. As a result, the quality of service (voice quality and speed of data transfer) in licensed wireless systems is considerably inferior to the quality of service afforded by landline (wired) connections. Thus, the user of a licensed wireless system pays relatively high fees for relatively low quality service.
Landline (wired) connections are extensively deployed and generally perform at a lower cost with higher quality voice and higher speed data services. The problem with landline connections is that they constrain the mobility of a user. Traditionally, a physical connection to the landline was required.
In recent years, the use of unlicensed wireless communication systems to facilitate mobile access to landline-based networks has seen rapid growth. For example, such unlicensed wireless systems may support wireless communication based on the IEEE 802.11a, b or g standards (Wi-Fi), or the Bluetooth® standard. The mobility range associated with such systems is typically on the order of 100 meters or less. A typical unlicensed wireless communication system includes a base station comprising a wireless access point with a physical connection (e.g., coaxial, twisted pair, or optical cable) to a landline-based network. The access point has a radio frequency (RF) transceiver to facilitate communication with a wireless user equipment (UE) that is operative within a modest distance of the access point. The data transport rates supported by the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® standards are much higher than those supported by the aforementioned licensed wireless systems. Thus, this option provides higher quality services at a lower cost, but the services only extend a modest distance from the base station.
Currently, technology is being developed to integrate the use of licensed and unlicensed wireless systems in a seamless fashion. Thus enabling a user to access, via a single UE, an unlicensed wireless system when within the range of such a system, while accessing a licensed wireless system when out of range of the unlicensed wireless system. However, existing technology requires separate applications on the wireless UE for accessing the licensed and unlicensed wireless systems.
For example, a user accesses native applications (e.g., phone dialer, contacts list, and short messaging service) provided by the manufacturer of the wireless UE in order to establish a connection with the licensed wireless communication system. On the other hand, when the user wishes to connect to an unlicensed wireless communication system, the user must launch a third party application to connect to the unlicensed wireless communication system. These third party applications are standalone applications which include separate phone dialers, contact lists, etc., for connecting a user to an unlicensed wireless communication system. Thus, the user must retain duplicate contact lists and use a separate phone dialer each time the user wishes to establish a communications connection with the unlicensed wireless communication system. Furthermore, these applications employ a separate user identity (e.g., a separate phone number) to authorize the user to use the unlicensed wireless communication system.